Durgapur Upazila, Rajshahi

For disambiguation, see Durgapur (disambiguation).

Durgapur দূর্গাপুর
Upazila
The historic Qismat Maria complex includes a mosque and a small building known as bibir ghar
Coordinates: 24°27.3′N 88°46′E
Country	Bangladesh
Division	Rajshahi
District	Rajshahi
Government
• MP (Rajshahi-5)	Mansur Rahman
• Upazila Chairman	Md Nazrul Islam
Area
• Total	197.89 km^2 (76.41 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[1]
• Total	197,713
• Density	1,000/km^2 (2,600/sq mi)
Demonym	Durgapuri
Time zone	UTC+6 (BST)
Postal code	6240[2]
Website	durgapur.rajshahi.gov.bd

Durgapur (Bengali: দূর্গাপুর) is an upazila of the Rajshahi District, located in Bangladesh's Rajshahi Division.^[3] It is named after the town of Durgapur.

History

The area covered by the Durgapur Upazila is closely located to Lakhnauti, the capital city of medieval Bengal, and as a result contains sites connected to the Sultanate of Bengal. In c. 1500, the Qismat Maria mosque complex was constructed in Durgapur Upazila's Maria village. Among the 456 mosques and 125 eidgahs of Durgapur Upazila, other historic examples include the one-domed Ruipara Jame Mosque from the 16th century and the five-domed Panchubari Jame Mosque.^[3] The Panchubari mosque in Jaygirpara was established by a silk businessman known as Bhadu Pramanik and is bounded on the north by the huge Angra Beel and on the south by the river Malch.^[4] A Sufi pir popularly known as Kalachand Shah was based in this area and he is buried in a mazar (mausoleum) in Hathkanpara Bazar, Jainagar Union.^[5] In the 19th century, a Sufi murshid known as Hazrat Shah Shafi Qazi Rafiuddin bin Kafiluddin al-Chishti (1882–1996) of Dhardiyar, Kushtia arrived to Durgapur where many murids gave bay'ah to him. His mazar is located in Jhaluka.^[6]

The British Raj officially established a thana in Durgapur in 1909. During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, a battle took place between the Bengali freedom fighters and the Pakistan Army at the village of Kabasmul on the border between Durgapur and Paba upazilas. The army major was killed and as a response the army massacred 44 villagers in the villages of Gaganbaria and Palsa. Durgapur Thana was upgraded to upazila (sub-district) in 1984 as part of the President of Bangladesh Hussain Muhammad Ershad's decentralisation programme.^[3]

Geography

Durgapur is located at 24.4556°N 88.7667°E / 24.4556; 88.7667. It has a total area of 197.89 km².

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop. (000)	±%
1981	111	—
1991	138	+24.3%
2001	168	+21.7%
2011	186	+10.7%
2022	198	+6.5%
Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics[7]

Religions in Durgapur Upazila (2022)[8]
Religion			Percent
Islam			97.32%
Hinduism			2.35%
Other or not stated			0.33%

According to the 2011 Census of Bangladesh, Durgapur Upazila had 48,530 households and a population of 185,845. 32,588 (17.54%) were under 10 years of age. Durgapur had a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 48.23%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 987 females per 1000 males. 28,119 (15.13%) lived in urban areas.^[7] Ethnic population was 1,106 (0.60%).^[9]

Administration

Durgapur has 7 Unions/Wards, 114 Mauzas/Mahallas, and 122 villages.^[7] Post Code- 6240.

List of chairmen

List of Upazila chairmen^[10]

Name	Term	Notes
Mullah Abdul Wahid	25/5/1985 - 24/5/1990
Tazlul Islam Md Faruq	25/5/1990 - 9/5/1991
Md Abdul Majid Sardar	22/2/2009 - 29/8/2012
Musammat Banesa Begum	5/9/2012 - 10/11/2012	Acting
Md Abdul Majid Sardar	11/11/2012 - 29/4/2014
Md Nazrul Islam	30/4/2014 - present

Notable people

• Mirza Muhammad Yusuf Ali (1858–1920), author and social activist
• Mansur Rahman (born 1954), parliamentarian

See also

• Upazilas of Bangladesh
• Districts of Bangladesh
• Divisions of Bangladesh

References

1. National Report (PDF). Population and Housing Census 2022. Vol. 1. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. November 2023. p. 402. ISBN 978-9844752016.
2. "Bangladesh Postal Code". Dhaka: Bangladesh Postal Department under the Department of Posts and Telecommunications of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. 21 October 2024.
3. Kaisaruzzaman, AK Muhammad (2012). "Durgapur Upazila (Rajshahi District)". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
4. "পাঁচুবাড়ী পাঁচ গম্বুজ মসজিদ". Durgapur Upajela (in Bengali).
5. "কালাচাঁন্দ শাহের মাঝার শরীফ" [The holy mausoleum of Kalachand Shah]. Durgapur Upajela (in Bengali).
6. "কালাচাঁন্দ শাহের মাঝার শরীফ" [The holy mausoleum of Kalachand Shah]. Durgapur Upajela (in Bengali).
7. "Bangladesh Population and Housing Census 2011 Zila Report – Rajshahi" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
8. Population and Housing Census 2022 - District Report: Rajshahi (PDF). District Series. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. June 2024. ISBN 978-984-475-230-6.
9. "Community Tables: Rajshahi district" (PDF). bbs.gov.bd. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2011.
10. "পূর্বতন পরিষদ চেয়ারম্যানগণ" [Former council chairmen]. Durgapur Upazila (in Bengali).